Naruto: the Sword of the Divine Wind
by Hero of Might
Summary: I'm bad at summary. Please read the story to find out. Slightly crossover with Rurouni Kenshin, Bleach and Samurai Deeper Kyo.
1. Chapter 1

Eight-year-old Naruto stared at the katana in his shaking hands. The old owner, Arai Seikuu – son of the infamous swordsmith Arai Shakkuu, had entrusted his father's last work to Naruto, hoping Naruto could use it to rescue his son which was captured by Naruto's opponent, a swordsman who loved collecting swords and using them to kill people. He came here with to take Shakkuu's last work which had already been dedicated to Hakusan Shrine as a holy katana. Naruto's old sakabato had been destroyed while he was sparring with his sensei, Gekko Hayate. Shakkuu made it for him after he witnessed Naruto being beaten by a mob when he was six. Shakkuu rescued Naruto and asked him the reason why the mob did this. Naruto didn't want to answer at first, but after receiving Shakkuu's word that he would never harm a defenseless child no matter what, he told Shakkuu the reason: he was the container of Kyuubi no Yoko, the demon fox attacked Konoha six years ago and killed many of its said he understood people's reason, and he would never harm them despite what they did to him, and one day he would show them he's himself, not the Kyuubi. He vowed to never kill anyone. Shakkuu was touched by the boy's words, and being a famous swordsmith, he promised to Naruto that he would made for him a sakabato (reverse-edged sword) to help him fulfill his dream. And from that day, the Hokage assigned Hayate – Konoha's finest sworsmaster – teach Naruto kenjutsu (swords technique) and help him learn his father's legendary style, the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu (Naruto hadn't know the style was his father's, and he still didn't know that at this time) and an ANBU team including Dog – Hatake Kakashi, Tiger – Tenzou, Snake – Mitarashi Anko and Weasel - Uchiha Itachi to guard and teach him the way of Shinobi. For two years Naruto trained until he was exhausted but while he made huge progress in learning chakra control and the basic knowledge of a ninja he still couldn't master the style. Naruto broke his sakabato while trying to learn the rest of Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryuu. Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage, ordered Hayate to escort Naruto to Shakkuu's hometown – Bassai no Sato – to had him made for Naruto a new sakabato, only to find out Shakkuu was dead six months ago and Seikuu refused to make for Naruto a katana.

_**-----FLASHBACK-----**_

Hayate and Naruto walked into Seikuu's forge and was greeted by a three-year-old boy sitting behind the stall which was full of knives. The boy leaned towards Naruto and rose up his hands. Naruto smiled at the boy and shaked them. A moment later a young woman showed and scolded. "Don't play with them, Iori." She picked up her son and asked Hayate. "Welcome sir. Were you looking for something?"

"Actually, I wanted a kitchen knife." Naruto replied.

"Naruto?" Hayate looked at Naruto curiously.

"Sorry sensei, but I want to try it out. Uhm… do you mind if I test it, lady…?"

"My name's Azusa. And yes, you can try. I don't mind at all." Azusa answered honestly with a smile.

Naruto pulled out a carrot he bought along the way. Using the knife he cut the carrot in two parts, then glued them up. To everyone's amazement, two parts of the carrot stuck together without any tracks to show that it had been cut before.

Seeing the look in Azusa's eyes, Hayate decided to explain. "This is the "return cut". Nothing had been crushed along the line of the cut, so it can be put back together exactly as it was." He gave Naruto a look of approval and continued. "When a fine blade and the arm of a master come together for the first time, a test cut could be of this quality. But the fact that it could be done with a mere kitchen knife shows the skills of the maker."

Naruto nodded and said to Azusa. "Ma'am, could I speak with Seikuu-sama?"

"Yes?"

"I want him to make a katana for me!"

"Well, I…" answered Azusa hesitantly.

"Excuse me…" came a voice from the corner of the house. Naruto and Hayate turned to the said direction and saw a young man who looked like a student than a blacksmith. The man continued his sentence.

"Pleased to meet you. I'm Arai Seikuu. I've overheard your conversation. You need a katana?" Naruto nooded.

"I'm sorry, but I no longer make katana's. I can't fulfill your request." Seikuu's answer made Hayate's and Naruto's eyes widen.

"Why don't you make katana any longer?" Hayate asked calmly.

"People who come to me with request for katana's know about my father's quest for the 'katana that kills'. He used to tell me ' The katana's I make will bring in peace for the world.' But I didn't accept my father's beliefs. The katana's he shaped with those beliefs stole many lives. What does killing have to do with bringing in peace? Therefore I wasn't convinced. After my father's death, I decided to earn my living by making the tools of everyday life." Came Seikuu's answer.

"I see. So you're a pacifist in principle, in complete opposition to your father." Hayate muttered.

"Well, I don't know about principles, but I love peace as would anyone." Seikuu answered with a smile.

Naruto, who kept silence in the whole conversation, upon hearing this couldn't help but smile.

"I understand, Seikuu-sama. I'm sorry to have brought you a futile request. Thank you for your time."

Naruto turned and walked out the store Hayate couldn't help but asked. "Why didn't you say with him you just want him to make a sakabato?"

"Seikuu-sama desires peace with his whole heart. Even a sakabato that can't kill is still an instrument of war. I couldn't bear for him to make such a thing." Naruto replied his sensei with a bit of regret.

"Don't worry. Tomorrow, when we return to Konoha, I will have Higurashi Akira, the owner of the most famous Konoha weapon shop, made a sakabato for you. Now let's go to the inn and rest." Hayate assured Naruto and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you very much, Hayate-sensei."

Unknown to them, the young blacksmith and his wife listened to their conversation.

"That boy… do you notice the look in his eyes?"

"Yeah. His eyes were full of sadness. I can tell that he's a good person. But I wonder why he had those painful eyes."

"You didn't think that perhaps you could give him your father's last katana?"

Seikuu thought for a while and answered. "No. That's allright. I don't want a young and kind-hearted boy like him to involve with a killing tool like a katana."

**Later that night**

Naruto wandered around the village. He looked at his broken sword and remembered his feeling when he received it, the time he possessed and practiced wih it. However, the sound of footsteps and a child's crying alerted him. He quickly hid in a bush and saw a swordsman holding a boy by the tip of one of his swords. Naruto froze when he realized it was Iori, Seikuu's son. He then heard the man chuckled "heheheh… Shakkuu's last work. I wondered what kind of katana it will be…"

Upon hearing this, Naruto decided to follow the man to Hakusan Shrine. The man walked into the shrine's yard and stopped.

"You can come out now."

Naruto leapt and landed in front of the man. Iori stopped crying and called him "Nii-chan!" happily. The man gave Naruto a calculating look before asking him. "You've followed me for awhile. Who are you and what do you want?"

"Release the child." Naruto said coldly.

The man smirked and revolved his sword which was being used to hold Iori making him cry again.

"You are just a boy who can't be older than ten years old, and here you carry around a sword and dare to say to me with a demanding tone. Interesting. Oh well, you're here for the katana too?"

"Unfortunately I did seek a different katana. If you're here for Shakkuu's last work, go and take it. Only give back the child first."

"Heh… it wouldn't be much fun to do like you said. And after all this trouble to get the katana, it'd only be half much fun without something to test it on." The man said and tossed the bundle holding Iori to the air. The bundle hanged up a tree branch. The man unsheathed two swords on his hands and continued with a predatory look "I've always wanted to try killing a baby. So I rejected your proposal. We'll have a honorable fight." The man finished and pointed one of his two swords to Naruto.

Seeing there's no way to rescue Iori without a fight, Naruto ready his sword and prepared for the battle.

He didn't knew the man's skills, so he had to be careful and try to buy for Hayate-sensei some time.

"Is it fair and honor to fight with a hostage and your opponent is just a boy with a broken sword? You mock me."

"I'm not mocking you in particular…" the man charged towards "just your serious face." he finished with a slash with his right hand while his left hand pulled back. Naruto quickly blocked his opponent's slash by the scabbard, only to meet with a head-on stab.

"Got you!" shouted the man.

Naruto calmly jumped aside and avoid the stab. The man was surprised, he didn't think that boy could avoid his strike that easy. He had to pay a high price for underestimating Naruto.

"If you want to stab me to death, you must do better than that." Naruto said and countered the man with a Ryuukansen move in the Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu style. He hit him on the back, breaking two swords on his back in the progress.

"Ugh…" The man crashed down to the floor. Naruto was about to rescue Iori when he heard his opponent.

"Impressive. Guess you're not quite as weak as you look. If it wasn't for those lovely swords on my back, I'd be on the floor right now." The man said and cracked his knuckles. "But now you'll pay a high price for humiliating me."

As the man was saying, he unfastened the strings on the hilts of his swords and half of the hilt of each of his sword detached from the rest. The man fastened two swords together, forming a single sword with two blades.

"One of Shakkuu's ealier works, the Renbatou." Introduced the man. "You'll get two equal wounds at the same time, and you won't be able to stitch them up. In other words, Even if I miss a vital point and don't kill you right away, you'll die of wounds you won't be able to treat."

The man charged towards Naruto with a battle cry. "I'll give you your death!" The man charged, slashing down Naruto's head. However, his strike was stopped when Naruto raised his sword and brought it between his opponent's sword's two blades.

"Is this the best you can do?" Naruto taunted. He grasped his sword's scabbard and twisted it, breaking the man's two thin blades. Naruto lowered his sword before hitting the man's abdomen "Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu – Ryuushousen!" The man flew before crashing to the floor again. Naruto turned to Iori and was greeted with a smile and a soft cry "Nii-chan!"

"I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Now let's get you down." However his action was again cut short by the man.

"I see… Guess you're right. I made fun of you a little too much." The man said and stood up, his eyes blazing with fury and hatred. The brat went too far, and he would have to pay a very, very high price.

'_I hit him in the suigetsu (a vital point of the body) and it didn't hurt him as much as it should have. What's going on?' _Naruto masked his worried thought with a calm look.

"Nii-chan." Iori called him softly.

"I'm sorry, Iori. It looks like you will have to wait a little longer."

The man had enough. Not only did this brat humiliate him buthe also didn't even pay attention to him. He shouted "YOU'RE TALKING TO THAT BRAT AND YOU CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT ME?MAKE FUN OF ME ONE MORE TIME AND I'LL KILL THAT KID."

Naruto turned and looked straight into the man's eyes, his face betrayed no emotion. Unfortunately, this look only anger his opponent further.

"Oh! So you can look like a true swordsman?" he said with a smirk "It's bad to be unwilling to give people things, and you were unwilling to give me that look from the start." The man took off his shirt, revealing a piece of steel wrapping around his waist.

"Silver armor… so that's why you could withstand my Ryuushousen." Naruto stated, staring at the man.

That's the scene Hayate, Seikuu and Azusa saw when they arrived. Hayate was resting in his hotel's room when Seikuu and his wife came, asking him help them rescue their son. Hayate panicked when he noticed Naruto had disappeared as well, but there's no time to loss. He quickly ran to the shrine and saw Naruto was battling with the man, Iori was hanging up on a tree branch. Looking around the yard, Hayate noticed there were four broken swords on the ground, and Naruto's broken sakabato still in his hand. That meaned the outcome of the fight was tilted in Naruto's favor. To say Hayate was shocked and proud of Naruto at the same time was an understatement. However, his pride quickly turned worry when he heard Seikuu shouted.

"LOOK OUT NARUTO! THAT THING AROUND HIS WAIST… MY FATHER MADE IT AFTER MAKING REFINEMENT AFTER REFINEMENT. IT'S ONE OF THE LATER KILLING SWORDS!"

"What!"

"I'm Hozuki Mangetsu, sword-hunter and future member of Kiri no Shinobigatana Nana Nin Shu. (Seven Shinobi Swordsmen of the Mist) From now on, this's true madness. Just wait… and watch." Mangetsu said with a arrogant smirk, his arms moved to his rear, ready to strike.

In a blink, the tip of the blade shot towards Naruto. He barely moved his head to the right to avoid the strike. However, Seikuu shouted "That won't work. Just dodging by a hair won't---" Mangetsu flicked his wrist, and Naruto and Hayate were shocked when the blade curled, stabbing Naruto at his right thigh.

"What do you think? This's my most favorite sword – the Hakujin no Tachi." Mangetsu smirked arrogantly, catching the tip of the blade. "Now let's see if you can still move around."

"The blade… it's long and flexible." Hayate muttered. He couldn't believe in his eyes.

"The Hakujin no Tachi… It was forged to be as thin as possible while maintaining the strength of the blade. The tip is weighed so the slightest flick of the wrist can direct it." Explained Seikuu. "If Naruto's wounded like that and trying to fight the Hakujin no Tachi, I'm afraid…"

Mangetsu glanced at three people watching the match and smirked. "Looks like we attracted an small audience before I knew it. I guess it's time we got this show on the road." He tossed the tip into the air "I'll show you my own Orochi style."

Mangetsu flicked his wrists again, and the blade shot towards Naruto like a snake. Hayate quickly threw some kunai's at him, only for Suigetsu evaded. His blade continued shooting towards Naruto, who was trying to block it with his sword's scabbard. However the blade cut the scabbard like nothing.

"YOU BLOCKED WELL! BUT YOU'RE STILL GONNA DIE!" Mangetsu screamed, the tip of his blade shot down, intending to cleave Naruto's head. Naruto quickly move aside, but his wound on his right thigh prevented him and he fell to the ground, barely avoiding the hit of Mangetsu's blade. Blood started rolling down from the wound on his head.

'_It's not good. He had no chance of winning. If this goes on Iori will be…' _thought Seikuu, moving towards the tree his son was being suspended.

"Dear?" Azusa, catching her husband's move, asked worriedly.

"Hayate-san, can I ask you a favor?"

"Yes?"

"I've decided. Please keep that man busy while I am trying to take the katana in the shrine for Naruto. Right now Naruto had no chance of winning, and I'm not sure even you have a chance while that man's holding that sword. But if you attack from two sides then I'm sure you'll win." Murmured Seikuu.

"OK. Let's do this."

Meanwhile, Naruto started rose up shakily, glaring intently at Mangetsu. The man returned Naruto with one of his glares, recalling his sword.

"Why don't you just give up and die? At least your death will be less painful." Naruto didn't say anything.

"Your eyes are really getting on my nerves. Don't you understand what's going on? You're going to die just to protect a little brat."

Naruto continued glaring at Mangetsu before answered slowly "In my village, I was considered a demon. I am an orphan. I have no idea who my parents were and lived my life alone all these years. I got kicked out of the orphanage at the age of four. I got spat upon, kicked, beaten up, anything. I had fifty-four assassination attempts by the time I was seven. I was charged triple the price for everything I bought. I barely lived off with the allowance I got. I had no one, nothing. I lived off the garbage bin. Everything I was allowed to buy was either expired or poisoned. If I was to so much as step into a hostile shop, I would get flung out immediately. I nearly died twice in my life. Once was at the age of five, where I saved Hyuga Hinata from a Kumo nin, the second was at the age of six, when I was beaten within an inch of my life by the villagers and some other shinobis……on my birthday. Two day later, Shakkuu-dono gave me this sakabato. " Azusa was holding her hand, covering her mouth in shock. Seikuu was staring at him in disbelief. Hayate closed his eyes, till now, he could still remember that night. The night where small seven-year old Naruto was bleeding profusely on the ground, just lying there, and the way he screamed for forgiveness on the hospital bed was etched deeply into his memories.

"Oh now you're bragging? Do you think that by recounting stories of your pathetic life that I'm going to let you go?" Mangetsu asked amusedly.

"It's been two years since that day I vowed to never kill anyone and protect everyone that's precious to me. I've trained everyday to the verge of exhaustion to keep my vow. To you he's nothing but a brat, but to me he's the grandson of my benefactor. Even if it costs me my life, I'll return Iori to his parents safe from harm." Naruto said coldly, his eyes staring intently on his opponent. Mangetsu and Hayate were shocked to the core: Naruto's eyes were no longer blue but crimson red, two tomoe's swirled around the iris in each eyes.

"Sha… Sharingan." Both Mangetsu and Hayate stuttered. Naruto quickly made an eye contact with Seikuu and Hayate and nodded, clearly saying 'I'll distracted him. Hurry up and rescue Iori.'

They both acted at the same time. Hayate attacked Suigetsu with his move "Dance of the Crescent Moon" while Seikuu was running quickly towards the shrine. "Hang on, Iori. You'll be safe soon." He shouted.

Mangetsu roared "What're two spectators doing on the stage?" He swung his blade, creating a shield protecting him from Hayate's attack while the tip of his blade shot straight towards Seikuu.

'_Shit.' _Hayate thought, knowing he would not make it in time.

"Seikuu-kun!" Azusa panicked, fearing for her husband's life.

When the tip of Mangetsu's blade was about to stab Seikuu's back, it was dislodged by a broken sword. Everyone except Seikuu, who continued running towards the shrine, turned to see naruto stood there holding what was left of his sword's scabbard.

"NOW YOU'RE REALLY GETTING ON MY NERVES!" roared Mangetsu, his hair stood straight on his head. "I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE. I'M PISSED OFF NOW. SEE THIS HEAD? THIS'S WHAT THEY CALLED ANGRY HAIR THAT STRIKES FROM HEAVEN!"

"You'll have to try harder with that worn-out broom head then." Naruto said sarcastically. Hayate and Azusa sweat-dropped and nodded dumbly while iori was saying "broo…m" repeatedly.

Mangetsu charged towards Naruto, blinding by rage. "I'LL CRAM THIS IN YOUR STUPID SERIOUS FACE, YOU FOOL. YOU GODDAMN LITTLE…!"

Naruto blocked Mangetsu's hit by what's left of the sheath an charged at Suigetsu with a blinding speed.

'_Shit he got in too close.' _Mangetsu thought and he was hit right at the forehead a second later. He crashed to the floor the third time in this fight.

Naruto knelt on his left knee, panting heavily. Hayate and Azusa were going to run towards him, but they stopped on their track, their eyes widened when Mangetsu said with an oily tone.

"Ohh careful, careful. It's not good to make too much fun of you. That attack made me angry, but I'll calm again. You won't fool me a second time. I'll chop you into five pieces and put them on display on your village's gate."

"NARUTO!" a shout startled everyone. Seikuu stood at the shrine's gate, holding a katana in his hands. "This's my father's last katana. Please use it." He tossed the sword into the air, which was caught by Naruto's shaking hand.

_**-----FLASHBACK ENDS-----**_

"Heh… the stage-hand's a little late throwing in the props." Mangetsu's voice brought Naruto back to the present. "Well, whatever. I'll kill you and take this sword… two birds with one arrow. Draw it, and settle this quickly."

Naruto's hands were shaking badly. He didn't want to break his vow, but he had to save Iori. His exhaustion was starting showing plainly, and he dind't even have enough chakra to maintain his Sharingan.

"We're two equal swordsmen. It'll be easy to tell who'll kill and who'll be killed. You're a swordsman, and yet you hesitate to use your sword." There was a pregnant pause, and Naruto and Suigetsu just stared at each other. Suigetsu was the one who lost his patience first.

"Alright, if you don't draw your sword, you'll have to watch me kill this child, this brat that you called your benefactor's grandson, the one who you sworn to protect." Suigetsu said, preparing his sword to kill Iori. Hayate prepared to prevent Mangetsu from harming Iori when he heard Naruto's war cry.

Naruto charged towards Suigetsu, who roared excitedly. "COME ON. I'LL PAY YOU BACK FOR MAKING A FOOL OF ME." His blade curled like a snake and shot straight at Naruto, who in turn leapt towards Suigetsu, his katana ready for a battoujutsu stance.

"I'VE GOT YOU NOW" Shouted Suigetsu. _'the tip of the Hakujin no Tachi's ever-changing blade will stab him from behind.' _Suigetsu flicked his wrist, directing his blade to stab Naruto. However, Naruto turned his body to the left side, barely avoiding being hit by Suigetsu's sword.

He charged towards Suigetsu, drawing his katana with a blinding speed, his Sharingan blazing with three tomoe's in each eye.

"HAAAAAHH! HITEN MITSURUGI-RYU – RYUUKANSEN TSUMUGI!" Naruto cried out.

"Whe…Where'd that come from…" Mangetsu was stunned and shocked to the core. He was sure that damn brat was exhausted, so where did this power come from? Looking at Naruto's eyes, instead of hesitation, he saw them full of anger and determination. "It's like he's an entirely different person than before!" was the last sentence Mangetsu said before Naruto struck him down. Mangetsu fell to the ground and completely lost his consciousness.

"NARUTO!" Hayate shouted. Seikuu's eyes widened, Azusa's hands covered her mouth. Naruto stood there, staring at Mangetsu's emotionless body, his eyes were full of hate, anger and killing intent. Everyone stared at the scene in front of them until Iori's babble brought them back to the reality.

Naruto dropped to his knees. He had broken his vow, he had killed this man. Naruto stared at his hands, then his sword. His eyes widened, as did everyone's. Hayate was the first to break the silence.

"That sword… is a sakabato."

"My father's last work… a sakabato…" Seikuu stammered, he couldn't believe at what he saw. His father, a person who spent his whole life to make those swords which took lots of lives away, made two sakabato's, and both of them ended up being in a boy's hands… ironically.

"This sword… it feels better in my hand than my old sakabato…" Naruto stared at the katana in his hand.

"But if this's a sakabato, then…" Azusa said while pointing at Mangetsu's body. Hayate quickly check Mangetsu's vital before yelling "He's still alive. You disn't break your vow, Naruto."

A smile cracked slowly on his face upon hearing Hayate. His grip on the sakabato started getting loose as he gave up to his exhaustion. The last thing he saw was his sensei's panicked face, then darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

Within Naruto's mindscape, the feared Kyuubi no Youko gaze down at the floating form of its container with a steady gaze. The great beast was awakened when Naruto had been unconscious and the mindscape that represented its caged being began to crumble at an alarming rate. The crimson kitsune quickly replayed the events that led up to this moment and could only frown at the ignorance and arrogance of the human known as Hozuki Mangetsu. Despite its terrible reputation, Kyuubi was deeply impressed by its containers willingness to sacrifice his own life for another. It also had a great ego and it didn't want to have a weak host. Realizing that if the brat died then its existence would end as well, Kyuubi decided to give Naruto something that was rightfully his. Because of the sealing performed by the Yondaime a power had been locked away within the seal that bound it to Naruto's soul. However, now was the time to unleash the power upon the world. Red chakra slowly seeped from the bars and engulfed Naruto's seemingly lifeless form.

"**You had best be grateful of what I'm about to do for you, kit. Now take your rightful power and crush those pathetic weaklings that dare to think they can defeat my vessel." **Kyuubi growled out.

With a sudden gasp of air, Naruto's mindscape quickly shifted to a plain which was divided into two parts and there was a spring between them. To its left bank was a grassland with some sakura tress in full blooming, and to the right side was a frozen wasteland. Naruto slowly opened his eyes to see only a red haze that engulfed his vision but at the same time a surge of pain engulfed his entire being. However, the pain only lasted for a brief moment before the red haze vanished as its purpose was done. The young Uzumaki slowly got to his feet as he gazed at his surroundings with awe.

'_Where am I?' _the blonde thought _'__Is this what death is supposed to be like? I guess now all of my pain will finally end.'_

"So," a deep voice, like the rolling thunder, spoke. Nearly jumping out of his skin, Naruto turned at near light speed, coming face to face with a huge blue dragon, "you're finally here."

Its scales were smooth and slick and reflected the miniscule light perfectly, which gave them an ice-like shine. Atop its head was a crown of spikes, each of which jutted backwards like shards of broken glass. Its nostrils were thin and narrow, almost serpentine, but its breath did not leave clouds of condensation behind.

"Tell me. Can you hear my name?" The dragon moved closer, its glowing red eyes boring into his own, "Can you call out to me, to Hyôrinmaru?"

Before Naruto could give a reply a soft, feminine voice reached his ears. "So, it is finally time for you to claim what it is yours."

Shifting his gaze once again, Naruto found himself gazing at beautiful woman dressed in an ornate kimono of crimson red with pink sakura petals scattered across it while tied with a pink obi. Her light pink eyes gazed at him with warmth and compassion while her dark hair cascaded uninhibited down across her shoulders to stop midway down her back. Naruto felt the heat rush to his cheeks as he stared at the beautiful woman before him which caused her to giggle.

"Tell me, young one! Can you hear my name?" The woman tilted her head, her pink eyes boring into his. "Can you call out the name of your will to protect others, to Senbonzakura?"

"Is that what I should call the both of you?" Naruto asked as his gaze shifted between the two entities before him. His voice was low and quavering with fear and awe as his eyes were wide and his breathing came out in shaky rasps while his heart thumped loudly. "Can I call you Hyôrinmaru and Senbonzakura?"

Hyôrinmaru seemed to grin, baring two rows of shiny, carnivorous teeth, "So, you _can_ hear the both of us after so long.?"

"For so long we have waited for the day when can be of service to you. To be your sword and shield to protect you from your enemies." Senbonzakura said as she moved closer to him.

Naruto could only stare as the dragon and woman came to him then, he felt warmth permeate his body as the woman embraced him from behind to rest her chin atop his own head. Hyôrinmaru coiled his massive serpentine body around the two until he hovered in front of Naruto's face as he gazed down at the boy before him.

"I don't understand what's going on? Is this is what death is supposed to be like?" Naruto asked in confusion.

"No, Naruto this is not death as you are still very much alive. The Kyuubi is using his chakra to repair the damage to your body while you are in a state of suspension. Because of the Shiki Fujin that was placed upon you to contain you it sealed away both myself as well as Senbonzakura." Hyôrinmaru replied.

"When the Kyuubi was defeated the Yondaime utilized the Shiki Fujin to seal the soul of the Kyuubi into you by summoning the shinigami to sever his soul from his body. You are merely the container of his soul as well as all of his infinite power. However, now that we have been unsealed then, our power is also yours."

"We are the souls of your zanpakuto's. This is the Namikaze's kekkei genkai – to manifest and use the power of the soul." Senbonzakura said.

"What's a zanpakutou? You said that's the Namikaze's kekkei genkai, right? But my last name is Uzumaki, not Namikaze so how can I possess it?" Naruto asked confusedly.

"That, I cannot answer. I know you have many questions, but right now we don't have time for this. If you want to seek out the answers for your questions, you should ask your beloved Sandaime Hokage. I'm sure he can clear up your queries." Hyôrinmaru said and Senbonzakura continued "As soon as you leave this place you will know how to use our power . Now wake up, and show the world the power of a Namikaze."

Naruto felt the warmth of Hyôrinmaru and Senbonzakura vanished as he was thrust from his mindscape and back to the real world. Kyuubi chose that moment to make an appearance as it gazed at the two beings before it before shifting its attention to the outside world through Naruto's senses.

Hayate was talking with Seikuu and Azusa. They were discussing about the future of the blacksmith's family. Three hours ago, they had brought Naruto, Iori and a tied up Mangetsu back to Seikuu's house. After letting Naruto rest in a spare bedroom, Hayate sent a letter telling the Hokage about the mission and Naruto's fight. Afterwards, ha talked with the young blacksmith about the Hakujin no Tachi and tried to persuaded Seikuu to move his family to Konoha. Seikuu had already agreed to let Naruto decide what to do with the thin-bladed sword. However, he still hesitanted about moving to Konoha, afterall Bassai was his hometown, as well his ancestors'. However, he also couldn't denied the fact that many people could seek him in the future with the same purpose like Mangetsu's. His family would likely be threatened again. Seikuu couldn't allow this happen. He was deep in thought when suddenly, a pressure filled the house making him have a great difficulty in breathing, as did Azusa and Iori. Hayate was also feeling the pressure and it made him hard to move. Everyone's eyes were wide with awe, fear and surprise as they saw the unbelievable happening right before his very eyes. Naruto stood at the door of the room he was resting a moment before and was slouched forward with his head hung low. Slowly, the blond raised his head as the pressure was steadily beginning to increase. With a sudden jerk, Naruto threw his head back as a scream was released from his throat and his form was engulfed by white light. When the light died down Naruto stood there holding two swords in his hands.

The sword in his right hand had the hilt was wrapped in azure cloth and the cap at the bottom appeared to be made of some sort of bronze, or perhaps even gold. The hand guard just beneath the blade was made in the design of a four-pointed star, also appearing to be composed of gold. The blade itself was an oddity as well. The metal gleamed with a soft silver glint that belied its true purpose and the steel appeared to be as smooth as glass. Unlike the standard ninja sword, like a kodachi or a ninjato, the blade had majestic curve to it and was quite long. It seemed to be the size of an ordinary katana, which was a big sword for someone of Naruto's stature. The sword in his left hand had the hilt wrapped in a light pink cloth with a cap that also appeared to be made of bronze or gold material. The hand guard was made in the design of a square with four L-shaped holes also appearing to be gold. The blade was also an oddity in the same fashion as the first sword that gleamed in the moonlight with a soft silver glint.

Three adults in the house stared at Naruto and his two swords for a long time. They hadn't seen any swords looking as majestic as those in Naruto's hands. Hayate was dumbfounded. Where did Naruto get those swords? He could have sworn Naruto didn't have them before and during his battle with Mangetsu and Naruto didn't know about sealing weapon, either. Even if he did know about this, then why didn't he use them in his fight?

Hayate, Seikuu and Azusa jerked at the sound of scraping metal, looking over at the blonde boy. A navy blue sheath was slung over his right shoulder, tied there by a green sash while a black sheath appeared on his right hip, and he was easing his swords into them delicately. The pressure started fading slowly.

"Naruto… what happened?" Hayate asked hesitantly, not sure about what to do.

"Sensei… could you bring me back to Konoha, please? All will be explained in the Hokage's office." Naruto replied tiredly.

"Are you sure about this? You look quite terrible." Azusa asked, worrying for the blonde's condition.

"Thanks Azusa-san, I'm fine. Besides, it only takes about three hours walking to reach Konoha from here."

"Alright then. Prepare youself. We'll leave in next fifteen minutes." Hayate ordered. That's when Seikuu made his decision.

"Hayate-san, I accept your offer."

"What offer, Seikuu-sama?" asked Naruto curiously.

"I offered him to come and live in Konoha, in case anyone likes Mangetsu makes their appearance again." Hayate answered calmly.

"That's great. Before I forget what happened to the guy who kidnapped Iori?"

"I tied him up and let him outside the house. However we still can't decide what to do with him."

Naruto shrugged and started packing his stuff. He picked up his new sakabato, placing it at his left hip alongside with Senbonzakura and walking outside the house to the place the other were waiting for him. Iori, upon seeing Naruto's arrival, leaned forwards and grasped a lock of his hair, earning a cry of pain from Naruto, chuckles from Hayate and Seikuu, and a giggle from Azusa.

A sudden noise drew their attention just as four ANBU members landed in the clearing. Naruto quickly recognized them as Dog – Hatake Kakashi, Tiger – Tenzou, Weasel – Uchiha Itachi and Snake – Mitarashi Anko, who had protected him when he was younger.

"Hayate-san, Naruto-kun. We're here to escort the two of you back to Konoha." Kakashi informed.

They nodded and followed the Anbu team. It didn't take them too long to reach the walls of Konoha. They calmly walked to the Hokage Tower. Naruto ignored the villagers' glares and whispers sending towards him.

They walked into Sarutobi's office, and the Anbu retreated into the shadow watching the proceeding.

"Report, Hayate." The Sandaime said in a firm tone.

"Mission success, Hokage-sama. Naruto found a new sakabato, defeating a C-rank shinobi from Kiri and protecting Shakkuu's son 's family at the same time.

"Oh? Care to explain?"

Naruto started telling about his fight, how he had found out Mangetsu's plan and then confronting and defeating him with Shakkuu's last work. However he left the part about his zanpakuto and his Sharingan. After Naruto finished his story, Hayate stepped forwards.

"Hokage-sama. What should we do with Mangetsu? He's not a missing nin, so we couldn't kill them. We brought him back to here and Seikuu's family as well, because I'm afraid there'll be more people like Mangetsu come and do them harm."

"That's a good idea, Hayate." The aged Hokage said before turning his attention to the young blacksmith in front of him "Do all three of you want to become citizens of Konoha?"

They all nodded, well Seikuu and his wife nodded while Iori was riding on Naruto's back and playing with his hair, much to the blonde's annoyance.

"Good. Welcome to Konoha. Here is the key to your new apartment. It's located near the Business District of Konoha. I'll order one of my subordinates to guide you there now."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." The couple said in unison. Azusa picked up Iori.

"Falcon, report!" ordered the Hokage.

A puff of smoke appeared in the middle of the room. After a moment, the smoke disappeared, revealing another ANBU member who wore a falcon mask.

"Please guide this family to their new house, and introduce them about Konoha."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Seikuu and his family bid farewell to Naruto and Hayate before following Falcon. After the door was shut, Sarutobi turned his attention towards his surrogate grandson.

"Naruto-kun, now it's time you finish your repor."

"Jiji, I don't understand. My last name is Uzumaki, not Namikaze or Uchiha. Why can I possess their bloodline?"

Sarutobi's, Hayate's eyes widened, as did everyone's in Kakashi's team. Sarutobi quickly stood and put the strongest barrier and private jutsu he could in the room before returning to his desk.

"Naruto, I'm sorry for not telling you about your parents. But I swore to them I'll tell you when you're ready. Your father had many enemies both inside and outside the village. If they had known you're the son of the Yondaime, they would have tried to kidnap to control you or kill you. I also had to protect you from your mother's family."

"Who're my parents? What happened to them? Jiji, please tell me."

"What will be discussed will not leave this room. Whoever let this information leak out will be executed immediately. Am I clear?" ordered the Hokage sternly.

"Hai, Hokage-sama." Came everyone's replies.

"Naruto. This is the letter your father left for you. Please read it carefully." The Hokage said and took out a scroll from his desk. Naruto opened it slowly and began to read.

_Dear son,_

_How are you? I hope you're fine and in good health._

_I write this letter with a heavy heart because of the situations surrounding it. Right now, we are one seven hours away from impending doom. Our sources have informed us that the Kyuubi is currently wreaking havoc and is heading towards our village in a blind rage. As to what it is angry about we have no idea but I do know that it is usually a creature of gentleness and protected our village sometimes. However, we do know that if something is not done, nothing will be left of the village. It is in that regard that I have a heavy heart, because this battle with the Kyuubi will be my last._

_When the Kyuubi approaches us I will attempt to seal it into a new born child, and if you have not been able to piece it together, that new born child was you and I am the Fourth Hokage. Why you may ask? The only thing strong enough, living or otherwise that is able to hold back a being of such power is a new born child whose chakra coils have yet to be developed. That is why I choose you. Even if there were other available children, what kind of Hokage would I be if I was unable to use my own child but could use someone else's?_

_If you have lived a terrible life, then I am sorry. Though I wished that you would be hailed as a hero in the village, I am very realistic and know that you will not be hailed as such. I only find solace in the fact that the Sandaime will keep you alive, but may be limited, due to the interference of the civilian council._

_I asked Sarutobi that you heritage be kept a secret from you until he deemed you ready, willing and able to face the truth. Not even the council knows of your parentage, though my teammates may be able to piece it together. I also want you to refrain from taking on the Namikaze name until you are able to hold out against my Jounin instructor at full power for at least one hour. His name is Jiraiya and he's one of the Sannin._

_I want you to know Naruto that both your mother and I love you very much, and would fight death if it was possible to be with you. However we are unable to because I died sealing the Kyuubi into you and your Mother died during shortly after giving birth to you. Don't you dare think for a moment that you caused our deaths, just remember that though we are gone, you will always have a special place in our hearts._

_Now onto something that has been nine months in the making, our special gift to you; a training schedule designed by your mother and I during her pregnancy sealed below.. Along with this you will also obtain all of our techniques including my famous __**Hiraishin **__and your mother__'s instruction about the Sharingan. I have also included some things and information about the Namikaze's kekkei genkai that I think might be useful to you. These along with whatever else you pick up along the way will aid you in becoming a great Shinobi Naruto. _

_Do us proud and learn well as you earn your name through the Shinobi world as did your mother and I Konoha's Raging Storm and Konoha's Yellow Flash._

_Live life to the fullest son and make us proud._

_Your Loving Parents,_

_Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uchiha Namikaze._

_P.S. If you ever see Jiraiya then kick his balls hard for me._

Naruto stared at his father's letter for a long time. Now he understood the reason why everyone hated him. The whispers… the hateful glares… all made sense for him now. Looking at the letter again, he noticed there were some blurs on the letter, as if his father had written it while crying. Tears started rolling down his sat on a chair and broke down. All the pent up emotions that he had hidden with his smiles, all the pain and grief that he had been exposed to at an early age and later on in life, he simply let the tears flow freely. Finally, he had found out who his parents were only to be informed that they were dead.

'_At least, they loved me'_ he thought '_they didn't abandon me like I always thought but really loved me even in their death. I love you too tou-san, kaa-san, even if you may not be able to hear me, I love you and will do all I can to make you proud of me. Starting right now I'm turning over a new leaf. NO longer will I just be an idiot that everyone hates and despises, I'll be the one they look up to. It's a promise tou-san, kaa-san, and I never go back on my words. I love you.'_

Sarutobi looked at Naruto with a worried look on his face. He was afraid Naruto would gone berserk and unleash the Kyuubi to get revenge on the villagers, although he wouldn't be surprised if Naruto did that. However, all his worry disappeared when Naruto looked at him with his teary eyes.

"D-do yo-you have a-any photos of t-them?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"All your parents' photos are being kept at the Namikaze Compound next to the Hyuuga Compound. I can take you there now if you want." replied Sarutobi.

"No. just give me the key. I will go there myself after I become a Chuunin." Naruto said with a confident voice, his eyes burning with determination.

"That's good to hear Naruto-kun. Now can I see your swords and your Sharingan?" Sarutobi asked.

Receiving a mental nod from both Hyôrinmaru and Senbonzakura, Naruto pulled out his two Zanpakuto's, alongside with his sakabato and gave them to the Hokage. He activated his fully-matured Sharingan, earning a gasp from everyone in the room.

"Interesting. Do you know the names of your Zanpakuto's?"

"Yes, I do." Naruto sheathed his swords again. "Jiji, can I leave now? I want to be alone… to think about this."

"Yes, you may leave, Naruto-kun."

Naruto left the Hokage office and decided to go to the Hokage Monument. He came and sit at his favorite spot, the Fourth's head, ironically. His idol, the person he admired and wanted to surpass the most, was his father.

Naruto sat there for a long time, thinking about his life. Naruto closed his eyes, but when he opened them again, he found himself in his mindscape, standing before Senbonzakura and Hyôrinmaru.

"Naruto-kun. Are you alright?" Senbonsakura said worriedly and embraced him in a motherly hug.

"Naruto just stood there, enjoying the warm feeling. He couldn't help but wonder _'Is this the feeling when you're hugged by a mother?' _"I'm fine. Just… it's too much to swallow in a short time."

"Fate can be very cruel sometimes, but you must endure against it if you want to become truly strong." Hyôrinmaru said calmly.

"Thank you. I think I understand it."

"Now let's move to the other important matters. Now you know about the truth about the Kyuubi. Before you show your anger, let me give you an advice. Don't be so quick to hate."

"What do you mean by that?"

"If it were not for that beast, you would likely have failed to survive your rough childhood. Blocked me from you, he may have, but kept you alive, he did, even if it was in self-interest."

"What?" Naruto looked shocked. "But how?"

"It protected you when we could not," the dragon responded. "It healed you when others would have waned away into nothing. He soothed you when sleep would not come to your young mind."

"But that was all _its _fault to begin with!" Naruto protested loudly. "If it hadn't attacked Konoha, then he wouldn't have gotten its fuzzy butt sealed, and I would have had a normal life!"

"Do not be so quick to judge," Senbonzakura said. "The fault of the Nine-tails' attack lies in the Uchiha and their accursed bloodline. The one called Madara…"

The dragon's eyes flashed, "Were it not for that evil man, the beast would not be where he is."

Naruto looked confused, "What does the Uchiha clan—?"

"That, I cannot answer," the serpentine beast interrupted, anticipating his question. "I only know what information I can glean from the beast and his mutterings."

"Oh," Naruto said lamely.

"By being the container of a bijuu you are granted certain abilities that are unique to each bijuu. Because of the Shiki Fujin that was used the Kyuubi had to ensure that your body was capable of handling its power or you would've died because of all the youki that flowed through you. The nature of the seals that made up the Shiki Fujin ensured that the power of the Kyuubi no youko would slowly be converted to your own but something was not accounted for during the sealing process." Senbonzakura explained.

"What was the problem? Does it have anything to do with the fact that Kyuubi is supposed to be the strongest of the bijuu?" Naruto asked.

"That is part of the problem but that is not all. The problem was that with the fact that you had already had both of us inhabiting your body caused an influx of power when the Kyuubi was added to the equation. When we were sealed along with the Kyuubi your spiritual energy or Reiryoku was sealed away as well. This was why you have such horrible chakra control issues because all you had was the physical aspect of chakra at your disposal and very little spiritual." Hyôrinmaru explained.

"So, now that both of you are here does it mean that my chakra control will be better that it was before, right?" Naruto asked.

His chakra control had been a major issue for a long time despite all of the chakra control exercises that he had learned. His chakra control was about mid-genin level at best and that was only if he had to use jutsu that required a lot of chakra. Even though he possessed a lot of chakra he knew that this caused him to waste a lot of extra whenever he performed any technique.

"The answer to the question would be yes as well as no. Despite the fact that you now have access to your Reiryoku once again that also mean that your chakra reserves have also expanded far more than you previously had. This also means that you will have to work even harder to gain better control over your chakra if you are to reach an optimum level of strength. We will work with you to gain control over your chakra will also showing you techniques that will require use of your Reiryoku only." Hyôrinmaru replied.

Naruto sighed. "Well, I should've expected that I would have to work hard in order to get stronger but that's nothing new to me. I've been working hard for my strength all of my life and that won't stop me now since if I want to reach my dreams then I have to be the strongest there is."

Both spirits smiled at Naruto's determination to earn his own power and were glad that they were bound to the soul of one as unique as him. Sharing a brief glance between each other both decided it was time that Naruto met the Kyuubi since the great kitsune had expressed a desire to meet its container.

"Naruto, I believe that it is time that you met the Kyuubi. There is much that the two of you need to discuss and if you are to get stronger you will need its help as well. After all that was the intention of having the Kyuubi sealed within in the first place. If the two of you can come to a compromise it will be beneficial to all of us in the end." Senbonzakura said.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "How do I contact the Kyuubi in the first place? I was only able to come here because you told me how by remembering this place but I've never met Kyuubi before."

"This is your mind and all you need to do is think of the Kyuubi and you will be taken there." Hyôrinmaru said.

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes as he focused on finding the Kyuubi no Youko that resided within him. He used the knowledge that he had gained from the academy to imagine the image of a crimson nine-tailed fox that stood taller than the hokage tower and felt a tug at the back of his mind. When the feeling had passed Naruto waited a few moments before he opened his eyes. To say he was disappointed at what he saw would be a serious understatement. The young Uzumaki found himself in a sewer much like the ones that ran underneath Konoha that he had used to escape from mobs of villagers when he was younger. This was before he had learned how to defend himself after some of the anbu from his security detail had begun training him. Returning to the task at hand, Naruto noticed a red glow coming from one of the many corridors that branched away from the main path and made his way towards it. Once he reached the glow he paused for a moment as he felt a malevolent rage but at the same time he felt an underlying emotion of sadness and surprisingly affection wash over him. He wondered about that as he walked into the glow that caused a soft tingling sensation as if someone was running a feather along his skin. As the glow faded from his vision Naruto found himself in a huge room that led to a massive gate that with a single piece of paper with the kanji for seal. He guessed this had to be the cage that held the Kyuubi contained within him as viewed by his inner world and made his way over to the bars.

'_I wonder what exactly I should be expecting when I actually talk to the Kyuubi. From all the stories it should be a giant kitsune that only knows destruction but the feelings I'm getting are confusing to say the least.' _Naruto thought.

He was a few feet away from the cage when a pair of crimson slitted eyes snapped open right before a massive claw shot between the bars to impale him. Naruto had not been expecting such a reaction and the claw would've struck him if not for the timely appearance of Sakura petals that blocked the claw. As the claw was repelled, Naruto felt a pair of slender arms encircle his frame as well as an ample set of mounds press into his back causing him to blush. Senbonzakura held Naruto close as a frown marred her otherwise gentle features as she gazed into the darkness of the cage. A moment later, Hyôrinmaru also appeared coiled around Naruto as he hovered in a protective manner of his chosen partner. Naruto was grateful that the two were still here with him while at the same time chastised himself for letting his guard down against the Kyuubi.

"**So, my container finally decides to grace me with his presence. What is it that brings you here to see me, Kit?" **Kyuubi's deep voiced echoed around the room.

"You stupid fox, what was the big idea trying to attack me just now? Unless you forget if something happens to me then, you're gone as well." Naruto snapped. He really didn't like how Kyuubi seemed to be talking down to him.

"**You dare to speak to me in such a manner, ningen! Unless you have forgotten it is only because of me that you are still alive till this day since your so called partners could do nothing till after your near death experience. You should be grateful that I even put forth the effort to keep you alive in the first place. After all, I am the Kyuubi no Youko and you would do well to remember that." **Kyuubi's angry growl caused the room to shake, slightly.

Naruto was quickly becoming fed up with those that seemed to think that they were somehow superior to him. It was bad enough that the villagers treated him like he was no better than the dirt they walked on and now Kyuubi was about to be added to the long list.

"I don't really care who are. You seem to forget that because of you attacking the village and being sealed in that all my problems started in the first place. If you never came then, I could've probably had a family instead of being an orphan and grew up with a happier childhood. So, the way that I see it since you're living in my body then, you better start paying rent by helping me get stronger." Naruto said, his anger rising.

Kyuubi was shocked for a moment. _"It would seem that there is more to this kit than I originally thought. He has the same type of inner strength that I witnessed in my battle with the Yondaime hokage. With me being sealed within him it would stain my reputation if my vessel were to be seen as weak by the other demon lords. However, he is already quite strong and with his determination he will only get stronger.'_

Kyuubi gazed at the three figures before its cage for a moment longer before finally coming to a decision. Naruto could only watch as Kyuubi began to glow with crimson light before its form began to shrink in upon itself. He was confused by this and watched as the light began to take on a more definite human shape but his greatest shock came as he realized that the shape was that of a woman. When the glow faded he could only gape in wide-eyed shock at what he was seeing from behind the bars of the cage.

"Y-yo-you're a girl!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

Hyôrinmaru and Senbonzakura could only chuckle since they had already known this but it was amusing to see Naruto's reaction. Kyuubi stood around the same height as Senbonzakura and in Naruto's opinion just as beautiful. Her crimson hair flowed down to center of her back as she stared at Naruto with crimson, slitted eyes. She was dressed in a crimson kimono with flame-like wisps designs across it and tied with an even darker red obi. Her skin was slightly tanned and he also noticed a pair fox ears atop her head as well as nine crimson tails gently swaying behind her. She flashed him a grin to show a pair of prominent fangs while she folded her arms beneath her sizeable bust.

"Why is that you humans always believe that I'm a male just because I'm considered the strongest of the bijuu? I should almost feel insulted but I guess it can't be help since you ningen are quite ignorant of the world around you. Besides, I prefer this form much more since my kitsune form is really only meant for battle against others of my stature." Kyuubi spoke in a soft, melodious voice.

Naruto was about to snap off a retort when he was interrupted by Hyôrinmaru's deep voice. "That is quite enough, Kyuubi-sama! We came so that we can come to an agreement and to make Naruto aware of all that you've done to him. After all, I doubt that you would've gone through all this trouble in the first place."

"You are quite correct in your assumptions. I had long since made some adjustments to the kit's body as he has long since gained my respect for his actions up till this point in time. I made several adjustments in preparations of the day that he would regain the ability to use both of you but I wasn't exactly sure if he was worthy until he showed me that he would work hard for his own strength. Despite the teachings of those that protected him he always chose to do things to the hard way so that it would produce better results for him." Kyuubi replied.

"Do you mind telling me exactly what you did to me? If you have so much faith in me then, I want to at least give you the benefit of the doubt." Naruto said.

Kyuubi was once again shocked by Naruto's behavior as she was still getting used to him not hiding behind that idiotic mask of his. A vulpine grin appeared on her features that caused a shiver to run up Naruto's spine.

"You truly due interest me, Naruto Uzumaki. I will tell you of what I've done to your body to truly make you a vessel worthy of my power. Since youki is not meant to be handled by humans since its demonic nature is far more potent than your human chakra I had to make sure that you could handle my power. Whenever I healed your injuries I made sure to adjust your to make it stronger than before. Your bone structure is three times as dense making them harder to break while I've increased the elasticity of your muscles to endow your with more physical strength without the aide of chakra. You may have noticed these changes already as well as your heightened senses although not quite the level of a full demon. I've widened your chakra pathways to allow more of my chakra to mix with your own. By doing this I've forced the purification seals to work over time to convert my youki into chakra. As it stands now you have drained the equivalent of two tails of my chakra from me." Kyuubi said.

"Hold on a minute! If I've drained that much from you then, why do you still have nine tails instead of seven? I thought the seal was designed to drain your power away and make it mine until you had no more and died." Naruto exclaimed.

"Kit, I am considered an immortal being for a reason. Despite the fact that you have my power I will always retain my tails while in your mindscape. Once you have drained my power I will simply be returned to makai where I will be reborn again. This was the pact that was made between myself and shinigami when I was sealed. If I were to simply cease to exist then, it would cause as sort of imbalance in the world. However, don't bother to question me on that since I won't tell you anymore. I may respect you but there are things that you will never understand about this world." Kyuubi paused for a moment to allow to him digest what she said. "Since you will be gaining my power you with have to constantly work to keep a decent amount of control over your chakra. Because of the mixture of my youki into your pathways your chakra shall become more potent but not as potent as pure youki. You will eventually possess chakra similar to that of a kitsune hanyou."

"So, does this mean that I will one day gain tails and such that would make me look like you or more fox than human?" Naruto inquired.

"You will gain tails but not until you perform a certain ritual which I won't perform until you have gain about four tails worth of my youki. I must admit you are taking all of this better than I would've expected. I sometimes forget that you are much more intelligent than you let on since I had to bear witness to that insufferable false persona of yours for so many years now." Kyuubi said which caused Naruto to frown. "Lastly, I've given you a sort of bloodline when it comes down to your healing so I wouldn't have to use so much of my own chakra to heal you. That is only one part of the bloodline and I will reveal the rest to you when I deem that you are ready to now. I would tell you more but I time grows short and I've grown weary of this little conversation of ours. If you need to reach me simply return here and I may answer your questions if I feel like. However, don't get the wrong idea that I suddenly like you. I just prefer to make our current arrangement more bearable by trying to co-exist with you. You are still merely a human and while you have gained my respect you still have a long way to go to prove that you are worthy of being my vessel. If such a time comes I may even allow you to call me by true name." Kyuubi finished.

"I thought your name was Kyuubi but the way you say I'm guess that its more of a title to your position as the queen of the bijuu." Kyuubi nodded. "Well, I hope that one day we can truly come to the point where we can get along and I will do everything that I can to prove myself worthy of being your vessel, Kyuubi-hime." Naruto said with a grin.

Kyuubi glared at him. "Don't push your luck with me, kit. If I so choose I can use my youki to harm as well as heal you. Now, leave me be so that I may get so rest and I hope you can provide me with some ample entertainment in the near future."

Naruto continued to grin as he was aware that he managed to get past the seemingly regal persona of Kyuubi which he wasn't surprised since she was the queen of the bijuu after all. He didn't have much more time to think about as with a simple wave of her hand he was removed from his mindscape. After being quite for so long, both spirits focused their full attention onto Kyuubi.

"I am quite suspicious of your willingness to assist, Naruto-kun. I hope you don't have any ideas of trying to free yourself from the seal by using him." Senbonzakura said with a frown.

"If that becomes the case then, we will use our own power to subdue if need be." Hyôrinmaru added.

"I am willing to assist the kit since I have had first hand view of his life since the time of my sealing. The way that has been treated is something that we demons would never do to one of our own. Humans call all demons evil but they possess a taint that would rival even the foulest of demons. I have lived amongst the humans for quite sometime to have seen the evil acts that humans can perform. It may also be because that in a way I've come to see Naruto as my own kit. If that is the reason then, it would only be natural for a mother to make sure that her young can truly survive on his own when I'm no longer around. I may be a demon lord but I am not as malevolent as the humans have come to make me out to be." Kyuubi replied.

"Will you ever tell Naruto the true reason as to why you attacked Konoha?" Hyôrinmaru asked.

"Maybe when I feel that he can handle the truth." Was Kyuubi's only reply.

With no more to say the three spirits once more returned to their own little corner of Naruto's mindscape until he needed them.

Naruto opened his eyes, only to see night had fallen._'Looks like I'd faleen asleep longer than I thought."_ Naruto sighed and stood up, walking towards his house. On his way, Naruto heard a shout come from a dark alley and quickly ran to said direction.

Naruto saw a girl looked like only seven to eight years old with two women who were hugging her protectively. Their clothes were luxurious and elegant, but their faces all showed a frightened expression: they were surrounded by nine drunken men.

"Well well well… what do we have here? Three beautiful ladies… may I ask what are you doing here? Why don't you come and have some fun with us? We promise we'll bring you to a land full of happiness." Said one man who looked like the leader.

"Let us go or you will pay dearly. I'm Ayane Kiyoshi, daughter of the Daimyo of Hi no Kuni." The girl, now identified as Ayane, shouted.

"Oh little girl. Don't make us laugh. Come here… I promise it won't be hurt at all. Instead you'll only feel absolute joy." Said the leader with a detestable laugh.

"NO! Get away." One of two women shouted.

"Cover her mouth, quickly!" the leader said, and his subordinates ran to the three, tying up their hands and covering their mouths with some pieces of cloth.

Naruto had seen enough. He decided to interfere. Walking calmly towards the drunken men, he said with a monotonous voice.

"I think you should let them go. If you harm her the Fire Daimyo will not let this go unpunished, and it may affect greatly to Konoha."

"Well if it isn't the Kyuubi brat. Today we will finish what the Yondaime started by killing you and become Konoha's heroes." The leader said and unsheathed a katana. The rest pulled out their weapons as well.

The men quickly surrounded Naruto, who had a serious face. "This is my last warn. Let. Them. Go. And. Leave."

"Kill him!"

"So be it." Naruto sighed and moved forwards. The men charged towards Naruto, only for him to disappear and reappear behind them, sheathing his sakabato.

"How…" the leader couldn't finish his sentence as blood shot out from his wound and he fell to the ground. Looking around he saw his comrades in the same condition.

"You're lucky since I only used my sakabato otherwise all of you'd be dead. Now get out of my sight before I decided to end your pathetic lives."

They quickly ran away, however the leader turned around and looked at Naruto, his eyes full of fury and hatred, before disappearing from the scene. Unknown to them a group of six people had witnessed the entire scene, and they all had a same thought _'Impressive.'_

Naruto untied the three ladies and help them stand up. He asked one of them.

"What are you people doing here at this time?"

"I'm Ayane Kiyoshi daughter of the Fire Daimyo. My father had an important meeting with the Hokage and he allowed me to come with him. I decided to explore the village with my two servants since this is the first time and I come here. I got lost and was finding the way back to our residence when those men found us. Thanks for your assistance." Said the girl.

"No problem. Now you should return to your father. I'm sure he's worried for your safety. I don't know where the Daimyo's residence is, but I can lead you to the Hokage tower, and you can have him brought you back to your father." Naruto said.

"Thank you... eh, what's your name?"

"I'm Naruto."

"Thank you very much Naruto."

"My pleasure. Now let's go."

Naruto and the group started walking to the Hokage tower, the group before trailed after them. However on the way they were greeted by a mob leading by the group Naruto had defeated. Ayane quickly hid behind Naruto's back, she was scared. Upon seeing Naruto the leader shouted.

"The Kyuubi brat had injured us and captured the Fire Daimyo's daughter. Let's kill him and rescue her."

"What! You're the one who tried to 'have fun' with us, and now you're saying our savior was the culprit?" one of Ayane's servant shouted back.

"The demon had corrupted their minds. Kill him now!" the man shouted again, his hand swinging his sword. Many cheers answered the man's shouting, and the mob readied their weapons. Naruto just sighed and adopted his battoujutsu stance. Ayane looked at him worriedly. Sensing her uneasy feeling Naruto assured with a confident smile.

"Don't worry. I promise they'll not harm you."

"But…" whatever she was going to say was cut short by the mob's war cry. They charged towards Naruto, only to be defeated. Naruto danced between the mob, his movement graceful and well-balanced. In less than a minute after it started, the mob was defeated easily. The group following Naruto from the alley decided to show themselves. They jumped down and stood around Naruto and the girls. Before Naruto could ask who they were Ayane had shouted, her voice full of joy and relief.

"Hajime-jiji! Makoto-jiji! Seta-jiji! Musashi-jiji! Kyo-jiji! Aoshi-jiji"

"Who are you?" Naruto asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry Naruto-kun. They're my father's bodyguards." Ayane replied and naruto relaxed visibly.

"Well since they're here I'll take my leave then. Farewell Ayane-dono."

"Bye Naruto-kun!" Ayane said, unconsciously adding the suffix '-kun' after Naruto's name, which didn't go unnoticed by her servants and five men. Hajime decided to teased the poor girl.

"So… our little pricess had found for her a boyfriend. I must say it's a wise choice."

"Wha… what're you talking about? I've just met him for ten minutes. He's not my boyfriend."

"Suurrreeee. Then why did you add the suffix '-kun' after his name?" Seta joined in the conversation. Poor Ayane's face was covered in a deep shade of red. The others couldn't help but burst out of laughing. They escorted her back to the Daimyo's residence, where her parents were waiting for her, ready to scold the poor girl not to run away like that again.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning Naruto woke up and started his morning activities. After eating a healthy breakfast with some bacon, eggs, and pancakes, he went to his personal training ground to train with hayate as usual. However when he came Hayate was nowhere to be found. Naruto wondered for a moment before shrugging it off. Since Hayate wasn't there he decided to practice on his own. Suddenly a figure wearing a mask which covered half of his face jumped out of the bush and ran straight to Naruto.

"Hiten Mitsurugi-Ryu: Doryusen!" Using his sakabato, Naruto threw soil to his opponent's face, forcing him to retreat. Naruto charged towards, intending to finish the assailant with a quick Ryūtsuisen move. However the man leapt backward making Naruto lost his balance. His opponent ran to him, sword ready for a straight stab. However he was greeted by Naruto's Ryūkansen move on his back.

'_Impressive. Looks like I've underestimated this kid.' _Thought the strange man.

Naruto leapt away from his attacker and adopted a battoujutsu stance while his opponent was also ready to attack again. He used a stance unfamiliar to Naruto.

"Who are you? What do you want?" Naruto asked calmly, receiving no answers from the man. Both of them stood there, staring at each other for a long time.

Suddenly, the man charged towards Naruto with an unbelievable speed. Naruto leapt into the air, avoiding the stab and was about to counter the man with a Ryūtsuisen move. But the man quickly raised his sword up and stabbed Naruto on the chest. Too surprised to do anything, Naruto could only twist his waist, barely avoiding being impaled. However, his opponent slashed his sword across Naruto's chest and sent a hard kick to Naruto's abdomen making him floored.

"An avoided thrust like that can become an attack from the side in an instant. You're still too naïve and inexperienced." The man said and prepared his sword in the strange stance again. Naruto gritted his teeth, panting heavily. This man's too strong for him to take down, but he'd be damned if he surrendered without a fight.

"Interesting. Despite your lack of experience, and your wound, you still refuse to surrender and decide to go all out. You'll be a great warrior someday." The man said and thrust his sword, aiming for Naruto's heart. Naruto decided to use his sword-breaking technique and block the man's attack. However the man's far stronger than Naruto as he swung his katana sending him to a log on the training ground.

"Although my sword's just a normal katana but it's served me well in countless battles. I'm not about to let you break it now." The man said while staring intently at Naruto.

Naruto struggle to stand up, his eyes were sharper and sharper as each second passed. He gave his opponent a hard glare and prepared to attack.

'_The kid's too good for his age. His stance left no opening even knew about battoujutsu and used it perfectly. Although he's taken a deep wound to the chest, he can still stand up and fight. With this will and determination, he'll make a fine swordsmaster one day. He's an excellent choice for my daughter's bodyguard.' _The Daimyo of Hi no Kuni thought while watching the fight between Naruto and one of his bodyguards – Saito Hajime – in the Hokage's office, alongside with the Hokage, his wife and daughter, and the rest of his guards. All of them were impressed by Naruto's performance against an experienced samurai like Saito.

Naruto charged towards his opponent with a speed rivaling Saito's. Said man thrusted his sword to his opponent's head but he was surprised when Naruto disappeared. His sense of danger kicked in as Naruto's sakabato was already on its way to his heart. Hajime countered this move by a kick to Naruto's face, breaking his nose.

Hajime was sure the boy had lost his consciousness and was about to pick him up. That's when Naruto started standing up shakily. His hair covered his face as he was sheathing his sakabato.

"So you've decided to accept your fate? I must say I'm impressed with your skills despite the fact that you're just an eight-years-old boy."

"If you think I'll give up my life that easy then you've made a very big mistake." Naruto said and raised his head up, revealing his activated Sharingan as he unsheathed Hyôrinmaru on his back. Naruto focused his icy gaze on the assailant, words tumbling past his lips before he knew what he was saying, "Sôten ni zase, Hyôrinmaru." (Sit upon the Frozen Heavens, Ice Ring)

Everyone waited for something to happen, but nothing did, and the Saito smirked, a cocky gleam in his eye. He scoffed, "Was something supposed to happen?"

In a blur, Naruto had moved to stand in front of his opponent, already in mid swing. Startled, Saito stumbled backwards in a clumsy effort to dodge. Steel glinted and several locks of black hair fell to the ground.

Instantly, Naruto was upon him again, both hands grasping the hilt as his blade came down in a graceful arc. Saito thrusted his sword forwards in an attempt to stab Naruto's stomach. However, he was shocked when Naruto jumped. It wasn't a small jump, like a hop, but a full-blown leap that carried him at least two dozen feet into the air, where gravity seemed to lose its hold on him as he once more swung his sword. Saito nearly palmed his face, wondering what kind of idiot swung at nothing during a life or death battle.

From the downward arc of the blade, a winding, icy blue Japanese dragon soared, its eyes red and its jaw wide. It was headed straight for him and he was too surprised to even think of dodging. It was like something had frozen him to his spot and no matter how much he told himself to move, he couldn't. Everyone that witnessed the move was totally shocked.

The dragon continued forward towards a still shocked Hajime. The black-haired samurai got over his shock and rolled to the side but unfortunately his left leg was caught in the blast and was encased in a solid block of ice. The dragon continued past him and slammed into the ground creating a solid spike of ice as the attack ended. With his leg frozen, Hajime once again turned his gaze to Naruto or more specifically the sword in his hand. He noticed that sword appeared the same with the exception of the icey vapor that surrounded the blade and the chain that connected to a small dagger that was held in Naruto's opposite hand.

"What was that?" Saito asked with shock evident in his voice.

"That was my Shikai or initial release of one of my zanpakuto's, Hyôrinmaru. It summons a dragon of ice to attack my foes." Naruto replied.

Saito began to struggle to his right foot while trying to think of a way that would quickly thaw out his frozen leg. He wasn't allowed much time to relax as Naruto suddenly vanished from his sight as he heard a sudden swoosh sound behind him before the tip of Hyôrinmaru was pressed against his lower spine. He looked over his shoulder to see that Naruto was standing behind him with an angry expression of his face he had the entire time. However Saito was rescued when Hayate appeared behind Naruto knocking him out cold, his hand still holding Hyôrinmaru tightly. The ice around Hajime's leg shattered as he was left with a sensation of numbness. It would take him a few minutes before he could use his leg properly again.

Hayate was on his way to the hospital. He remembered how his student had fought and couldn't help but felt proud of Naruto. The boy had learnt Kenjutsu for only two years and he could last for ten minutes against a true samurai. He could even win and kill his opponent with his zanpakuto if it wasn't for Hayate's interfere. His thought was cut short by the appearance of Shinomori Aoshi, another one of the Fire Daimyo's bodyguards.

"Please bring Uzumaki-san to the Hokage Tower. The Fire Daimyo's personal doctors're waiting for him there."

Hayate nodded and turned to the hokage Tower with Aoshi. Meanwhile, Saito Hajime was also brought back to the Hokage Tower by one of his comrades, Shishio Makoto.

"I honestly didn't think the boy was that good, especially his final move. If you hadn't avoided it in time you would have frozen to death, basing on what happened to your leg." Makoto said.

"Yeah. But his final move… I'm curious about the sword that Naruto possessed. It reminded me the sword that the Yondaime Hokage had used before but at the same time its abilities were vastly different."

"Do you think the boy was related to him?"

Hajime thought about Makoto's words. Naruto was indeed looked like the Fourth, except for those whiker marks on his cheeks. He even had the Sharingan. But why did the villagers insisted on calling him a demon and Kyuubi brat? Unless…

"I understand now. That makes sense." Saito said, his anger was evident in his voice.

"What makes sense? And why are you suddenly angry?"

"Do you remember eight years ago, Konoha was attacked by the Kyuubi no Youko, which was defeated by the Yondaime? And yesterday we all witnessed Naruto was being called 'demon' or 'Kyuubi brat' by the villagers. They all looked at him with hateful glares and he was attacked by the mob. Besides Naruto looks like a mini Yondaime if you don't count the whisker marks. If he was born on October 10th then…"

"Then that means he's the Yondaime's son, as well as the Kyuubi container. The villagers see him as the reincarnated Kyuubi and use him to vent their anger and hatred." Finished Makoto, clearly irritated.

"I'm surprised that he still remains his sane. If I was in his position I would probably unleash the Kyuubi to get my revenge on those ungrateful scums."

"That's a story for another time. Ah we're here." Makoto said as he stopped in front of the Hokage Tower. They walked inside the Sandaime's office and saw Naruto was still unconscious and was being treated by the Daimyo's personal doctors.

"Shibasaki-sama, Shijimi-sama, Ayane-sama, Hokage-sama." The duo greeted the Daimyo's family and the Hokage. Saito walked straight to the Hokage's desk.

"Hokage-sama. May I ask you a question? It involves Naruto." He asked with an angry voice.

Sarutobi looked surprised and everyone except Makoto were immediately paying attention. They all knew Saito had never lose his temper like this before and wondered what had happened.

"May I ask Why a hero of this damned village was being treated worse than a criminal?"

The Sandaime immediately understood what he was saying about, but everyone was confused. Ayane decided to voice the question in everyone's mind. "I don't see your point, Saito-jiji. What does it have to do with Naruto-kun?" once again, she unconsciously add the suffix '-kun' after Naruto's name.

Makoto decided to answer in case Saito lost his temper and massacred the villagers. After he finished, the Daimyo turned to the Hokage and said angrily. "Sarutobi. Why didn't you tell me about this? Minato-kun was my family's benefactor and Konoha's hero, yet his son was treated like trash. Sarutobi, tell me everything, I mean _everything,_ about Naruto's life in the village, and don't you ever think to lie to me. Now!"

The Hokage didn't have another way but talking about Naruto's life. After he finished Shijimi and Ayane had to struggle to keep Shibasaki at his seat while Aoshi, Musashi and Seta did the same thing with Saito, Makoto and Kyo, preventing them from committing a massacre.

"This is ridiculous. You are saying with me that the Hokage don't have enough power against some _civilians. _This is a ninja village, what the hell do those goddamn civilians do in the council?" Shibasaki shouted while Sarutobi hung his head in shame. Sibasaki turned his head to his bodyguards and saw them discussing about something.

"Shibasaki-sama, may I ask you a favor?" Kyo said making everyone surprise.

'_I have a bad feeling about this.' _The Sandaime Hokage thought.

"What's it?" asked the irritated Daimyo.

"We'd like to take Naruto as our apprentice."

"All of you?" Shibasaki asked. He was surprised by the request, and it was made by Kyo of all people.

"Hai, Shibasaki-sama. We've decided." All six of them answered in unison.

"Well… that'll make things easier than I thought."

"Huh?"

"I was going to make Naruto as Ayane's personal guard and have one of you became the boy's tutor. But since all of you agreed to train the boy…" upon hearing this, his personal guards all smirked.

"But Shibasaki-dono, it was naruto's father's wish that he'll become a ninja of this village." The Hokage protested.

"And tell me, tell me a goddamn reason why Naruto have to protect a bunch of ungrateful idiots who didn't do anything to him but shunning, abusing him?"

"Because Konoha is always my home, no matter what its people did to me."Naruto's voice said making everyone stunned.

"Naruto-kun. When did you awake?" Sarutobi asked his surrogate grandson with a concerned tone.

"Long enough to listen about your offer, Shibasaki-dono. With all respect, I decline." Everyone was stunned again.

"Why, Naruto-kun?" Ayane asked confusedly.

"Because my father sacrificed his life to protect the village, and I can't let his work goes in vain. Besides in this village there are people who love me because of me, not the Kyuubi. So as long as there are still such people in this village, I'll protect it with my life for the sake of my precious people."

"That's a noble goal, Naruto-kun. However I still decide that you'll be trained by my bodyguards. You'll attend to the ninja Academy this year, right?"

Naruto nodded, and Shibasaki continued "Then that means you'll graduate when you're twelve. So you'll go with me to the capital of Hi no Kuni and stay there for four years, and return a month before the exam. Is that acceptable?"

Naruto was stunned. Since he could remember no one had bother to help him. And now, the Fire Daimyo of all people had offered him a chance many people would kill for. He couldn't help but ask. "Why do you decide to help me? If that's for pity then…" he was cut by the Daimyo.

"I admit I did pity for your miserable life, but that's not the reason why I decided to help you. Your father, Minato Namikaze was my family's benefactor, and damn it all if I see his son being shunned and beaten by those idiotic morons so-called villagers of Konoha and do nothing to help." Shibasaki's eyes flashed dangerously at the last part.

"Besides, we all need to find an apprentice to pass on our styles of fighting, and you're a perfect one. Not only do you have talent but you also know how to use power wisely. Do you accept our offer boy?" said Musashi.

"I would be honored." Naruto said and bowed to his new masters.

"Excellent. Go and pack your stuff and come to my residence tonight. We'll leave here the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you. May I leave now? I'm planning to visit my parents' graves."

"Of course you can, Naruto-kun. Remember go to the Daimyo's Residence for the trip two days later."

Naruto nodded and walked out of the Hokage tower. He ran straight to the Graveyard and stopped before a memorial with two names craved on.

**HERE LIES Namikaze Minato - the 4****th**** Hokage, yellow flash of Konoha – and his wife, Uchiha kushina – raging storm of konoha.**

Naruto bent to his knees. He just stared and traced his fingers above his parents' carved names on the memorial for a long time. Finally he said "Tou-san, Kaa-san. I don't know if you're able to hear me. But regardless of what happened, I know you did the best you could." Naruto stopped for a moment before continuing "I understand… you sealed the Kyuubi inside me because you believed in me, didn't you tou-san?" Naruto stopped again, a smile graced on his lips as he continued "I'm very happy because I know you will always love me and watch over me no matter what. I promise I'll make both of you proud of me. I promise no matter what I'll protect Konoha and its people like you used to do, tou-san, and I'll show them I'm their hero." Naruto stopped again and held out his empty hand. He focused chakra and concentrated on what he was going to do. Slowly, the particles of water in the air condensed and twisted to his will. A shape began to form, after a few seconds, the water flowing over his palm and dancing as it shifted. The rain seemed to bend around the object that was forming, or else it merged with the water already there. Finally, after a minute of intense focus and concentration, a perfect rose made of ice sat in his hand. Imbued with his chakra and made from his special abilities, it would never melt.

"You did a lot for me, and for this village, Tou-san, Kaa-san. I know…you died the way you wanted to die. You died defending the village. But that doesn't make it any easier for you to be gone. I know that you'd tell me not to and that you'd lecture me that it wouldn't bring any closure or satisfaction, but I'm going to do what I feel I need to anyway. I'm angry at you for leaving behind so much pain. But I'm angrier at Uchiha Madara." Naruto's eyes sharpened, "I'm going to kill him."

"I know, I know, vengeance begets nothing but hate. I'm not doing it just for me. I'm doing it for all of the people he hurt by commanding the Kyuubi attack the village."

He bowed again, "Next time I see you, I'll be more famous than you were…Hokage-sama."

Naruto said his final words and broke down, his tears rolling down freely on his cheeks.

_**-Two days later-**_

Naruto was standing with the Fire Daimyo alongside with his family and his elite guards, bidding farewell to the Hokage, the ANBU group who protected him when he was younger, Teuchi and Ayame – the owners of the Ramen stand in the village, his sensei Hayate, and last but not least Seikuu and his family.

The Sandaime gave him a scroll and said "Naruto. In this scroll there is a very useful jutsu. I believe only you can use it to the fullest extent. Good luck."

The ANBU team walked up "Naruto," the one with the Weasel masked said "here is your training session in the future. We planned to train you until you graduate but due to your unexpected… oppoturnity, you'll have to do it yourself. This scroll also contains some C-rank techniques and chakra control exercises. You should focus more on chakra control, since your chakra capacity was as big as a mid chuunin. When you return we'll run a _'small'_ test, and if we find out you being lazy then…" Naruto gulped at this, he could sense Snake a.k.a. Anko's sadistic grin after her mask.

"Train hard Naruto. I believe you'll be the best swordsman Konoha's ever had." Pulling out a quite big scroll, Hayate handed it over to Naruto "this scroll contains all my moves, including the Dance of the Crescent Moon. I don't know if it could rival with your future masters' techniques or not, but it's my gift to my most prized student." Naruto was stunned, he just stood there and staring at the scroll in his hands.

"So, basically I have three scrolls to learn and master, seven styles and two kekkei genkai to master… all in four years. I guess it shouldn't be a matter, but I have a question though… If I die, do I still need to train?" Naruto said sarcastically, and everyone roared with laughter.

"Bye everyone. See you in four years." With those words, Naruto walked the first step of his journey to become the greatest warrior in the world.


End file.
